Wimbledon RFC
Encyclopedia
Wimbledon Rugby Football Club is a rugby union
team from Wimbledon
, London
. The club was a founding member of the Rugby Football Union
and were at that time known as the Wimbledon Hornets.
in November 1865, making the club one of the oldest in the country, and one of just twelve surviving clubs that founded the Rugby Football Union
in 1871. The club’s captain at this time was L.J. Maton who drafted the first laws of the game and went on to become the third president of the RFU in 1875. In the same year, two club members, J.D. and H.J.Graham, gained one and four caps
respectively for England
.
In 1874 the club changed its name to Wimbledon RFC. It has been suggested that the change in name was due to the club's L.J. Maton becoming president of the Rugby Football Union
, and in order to reflect their new found gravitas they dispensed with the Hornets for a less whimsical name.
The club played on Wimbledon Common until World War I
, using the Rose & Crown in Wimbledon Village as changing rooms and clubhouse. The club then went into suspended animation when the First World War started, and was only re-formed in 1927. It was at this time that the club changed colours from broad blue and white hooped jerseys, to maroon and Cambridge blue hooped jerseys. The club's celebration of its centenary with a dinner held in February 1966, was demonstrative that it perceived itself a continuation of the original Wimbledon Hornets.
The club moved to its current clubhouse on Barham Road, Wimbledon
in the 1987/88 season, coinciding with the setting up of amateur
league rugby in Britain
.
All other teams play in maroon and blue hooped shirts with white shorts and maroon and blue hooped socks.
The men's teams
Wimbledon currently has three men's teams. After being placed, somewhat arbitrarily, in Surrey 2 in the first year of the leagues, Wimbledon began its rise through them:
The ladies team
The ladies team was founded in the 1990/91 season by Tina and John Ambler, Club Stewards from 1989 - 1993. Their team mascot is Alderney, one of The Wombles
.
The first ladies match was against a selection of players from the men's teams. Due to a lack of playing experience the men emerged the victors. Since then, the Ladies section has grown from strength to strength with several of the players reaching national and international level.
The team currently plays in the National Challenge 1 South East league and has a regular squad of over 30 ladies as well as an emerging under-16s side.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team from Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The club was a founding member of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
and were at that time known as the Wimbledon Hornets.
History
Wimbledon’s first recorded match was against Richmond F.C.Richmond F.C.
Richmond Football Club is a rugby union club from Richmond, London. It is a founding member of the Rugby Football Union, and is one of the oldest football clubs...
in November 1865, making the club one of the oldest in the country, and one of just twelve surviving clubs that founded the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
in 1871. The club’s captain at this time was L.J. Maton who drafted the first laws of the game and went on to become the third president of the RFU in 1875. In the same year, two club members, J.D. and H.J.Graham, gained one and four caps
Caps
Caps is the plural of the form of headgear cap. Caps may also refer to:-Science and technology:* Caps, exploding pellets in a cap gun* CAPS , N-cyclohexyl-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid, a buffering agent in biochemistry...
respectively for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In 1874 the club changed its name to Wimbledon RFC. It has been suggested that the change in name was due to the club's L.J. Maton becoming president of the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
, and in order to reflect their new found gravitas they dispensed with the Hornets for a less whimsical name.
The club played on Wimbledon Common until World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, using the Rose & Crown in Wimbledon Village as changing rooms and clubhouse. The club then went into suspended animation when the First World War started, and was only re-formed in 1927. It was at this time that the club changed colours from broad blue and white hooped jerseys, to maroon and Cambridge blue hooped jerseys. The club's celebration of its centenary with a dinner held in February 1966, was demonstrative that it perceived itself a continuation of the original Wimbledon Hornets.
The club moved to its current clubhouse on Barham Road, Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
in the 1987/88 season, coinciding with the setting up of amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
league rugby in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Club colours
Wimbledon 1st team play in maroon shirts with blue sleeves and a blue stripe on the side. They wear white shorts and blue and maroon hooped socks.All other teams play in maroon and blue hooped shirts with white shorts and maroon and blue hooped socks.
Teams
Wimbledon has three men's teams, a ladies team and a thriving youth team.The men's teams
Wimbledon currently has three men's teams. After being placed, somewhat arbitrarily, in Surrey 2 in the first year of the leagues, Wimbledon began its rise through them:
| Year | League | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1989/92 | Surrey 2 | n/a |
| 1992/93 | Surrey 2 | Winners |
| 1993/94 | Surrey 1 | Winners |
| 1994/95 | London League 3 South West | Winners |
| 1995/96 | London 2 South | Winners |
| 1996/99 | London League 1 | Winners |
| 1999/00 | London 1 | n/a |
| 2000/2005 | London 2 South | n/a |
| 2005/6 | London 2 North | n/a |
| 2006/8 | London 2 South | n/a |
The ladies team
The ladies team was founded in the 1990/91 season by Tina and John Ambler, Club Stewards from 1989 - 1993. Their team mascot is Alderney, one of The Wombles
The Wombles
The Wombles are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures that live in burrows, where they help the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in useful and ingenious ways. Wombles were created by author Elisabeth Beresford, originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968...
.
The first ladies match was against a selection of players from the men's teams. Due to a lack of playing experience the men emerged the victors. Since then, the Ladies section has grown from strength to strength with several of the players reaching national and international level.
The team currently plays in the National Challenge 1 South East league and has a regular squad of over 30 ladies as well as an emerging under-16s side.